Steering means for power-driven surfboards



y 1949- M. R.,BROWN.

STEERING MEANS FOR POWER DRIVEN SURFBOARDS Filed May 16', 1941 v IINVENTORJ Morris R 5 r0 n07 Patented May 17, 1949 no STATES m- SURFBOARDS STEERINGQMEANS FORTP'OWEHQDRIVENJ 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in aquatic devices, and more particularly to a power-operated surf board.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a power-operated water craft constructed substantially in the form of a Surf board on which the operator is adapted to lie prone, and having an outboard motor and steering controls positioned adjacent the bow.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character, of simple and practical construction, which is neat and attractive in appearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the aquatic device.

Figure 2 is a top plan view, with the deck partially broken away to illustrate the steering means.

Figure 3 is a vertical detail view illustrating means for biasing the steering rudder to neutral position.

The surf board or boat includes a hull B of substantially shallow draft, and a deck I.

An outboard motor 8, which includes a shaft housing 9, is rotatably supported on a mounting board Ill removably secured to the stern of the boat, the lower end of the housing 9 being constructed to form a rudder l2 by means of which the boat is steered by turning the housing 9 in the board It]. The housing 9 contains the usual shaft for driving a propeller l2.

A rudder bar I3 is secured to the motor 8 transversely thereof, and a cable I4 is attached to each end of the rudder bar l'3. The two cables l4 extend forwardly around stern pulleys H, under the deck I at each side of the boat, and around pulleys l5 adjacent the bow of the boat. The front ends of the cables M are attached to two steering shafts I6, which extend vertically through the deck I and which are provided with handles l! at their upper ends for operation by a person lying prone on the deck I, to rotate the shafts [6 in a manner to cause a pulling action on the cables M to swing the housing 9 about a vertical axis and to thus steer the boat, in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter.

Each steering shaft I6 is rotatably mounted in a sleeve I8 having a closed lower end and secured in the deck I. A helical spring 20 surrounds the upper end of the shaft IS. The upper end of each spring 20 is secured to the corresponding steering handle I1, and the lower end is anchored in the deck I, so that these springs 20' urge the steering shafts 16 to neutral position.

To the forward portion of the deck 1 is attached a windshield 30 to shield the head of the operator of the boat from wind and spray, and the deck 1 may also be provided with padding 3| to protect him from shock while riding on rough water.

The boat is preferably constructed of light weight material, such as plywood or aluminum, and the motor 8 is detachable mounted in the bearings Ill to permit removal thereof.

Bearings may be provided in the usual way to reduce friction between the motor 8 and the mounting board III. The entire assembly of motor 8, housing 9, and. mounting board In may be secured to the boat or removed therefrom by operation of a fastening means 40.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a power-operated surf board comprising a hull, a deck closing the top of the hull and serving to support a person in prone position thereon, a power plant operatively mounted adjacent the stern of the hull and including a rudder, and a pair of cables connected at the rear ends thereof to the rudder and extending forwardly in substantial parallelism with the deck at the sides thereof, the improvement which includes a pair of outwardly-directed handles pivotally mounted and spaced apart upon the forward portion of said deck, said handles being spaced closely down upon the deck and individually secured directly to the forward ends of said cables.

2. In a power-operated surf board comprising a hull, a deck closing the top of the hull and serving to support a person in prone position thereon, a power plant operatively mounted adjacent the stern of the hull and including a rudder, and a pair of cables connected at the rear ends thereof to the rudder and extending forwardly in substantial parallelism with the deck at the sides thereof, the improvement which includes a pair of upwardly-open vertical sockets spaced apart upon the forward portion of the deck and extending down into the latter, a pair of short shafts rotatably seated in the sockets and secured directly to the forward ends of said cables, and a pair of operatively-mounted outwardlydirected handles fixed on the upper ends of said shafts and spaced 2. short distance upwardly from said deck.

3. In a power-operated surf board comprising a hull, a deck closing the top of the hull and serving to support a person in prone position thereon, a power plant operatively mounted adjacent the stern of the hull and including a rudder, and a pair of cables connected at the rear ends thereof to the rudder and extending forwardly in substantial parallelism with the deck at the sides thereof, the improvement which includes a pair of upwardly-open vertical sockets spaced apart upon the forward portion of the deck and extending down into the latter, a pair of operative- 4 ly-mounted outwardly-directed handles fixed on the upper ends of said shafts and spaced a short distance upwardly from said deck, and a pair springs encircling said shafts intermediate the handles and the deck and being individually secured at the upper ends thereof to said handles and at the lower ends thereof to said deck.

MORRIS R. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS I Number Name Date 1,134,919 Sicklesteel Apr. 16, 1915 1,791,576 Simms Feb. 10, 1931 1,814,772 Sterling July 14, 1931 2,094,136 Strawn Sept. 28, 1937 2,303,645 Lacy Dec. 1, 1942 2,309,159 Binger Jan. 26, 1943 

